Cameron Hits!
In my previous post I forgot to congratulate Mike Cameron on hitting a double in the top of the eighth inning yesterday. That’s 2 hits in 2 days for Cameron and it brings his average way up to .199.
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Soggy It To Me!
The Mets first game at Citizens Bank Park was a wet one. The Mets were victorious in a game that started late and was delayed over 2 hours in the middle. The win ended a four game skid. Kaz Matsui created a couple of runs with his speed and Jason Phillips continued his hot hitting.
Al Leiter comes off the DL to start today’s game. I fear that this is the beginning of the end for Leiter. He has said that he does not want surgery and at this point it does not appear he needs it. But when a player starts talking like that it generally means he’s already thinking about retirement. Leiter has been a favorite of mine since he came up with the Yankees so I wish him nothing but the best. Let’s just hope the Senator has enough juice left to keep this team in it a little longer.
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How(e)’d He Do That?
Not much to say today. I just didn’t want to let a long weekend pass without saying anything.
The Mets blew all 3 games to the Marlins this weekend. In the first 2 the offense disappeared. A questionable call by Art Howe blew the third.
For those who missed it yesterday, Art Howe kept lefty Mike Stanton in the game to pitch to right handed batter Mike Lowell with Juan Pierre on first base. Howe replaced Stanton with the right handed David Weathers with the count 2-2 after Pierre stole second. Lowell then ripped an RBI double off of Weathers.
The resulting double is really irrelevant when viewed in the context of second guessing the managers decision (though it did help Florida to a 2 run win). The real question is why did Howe handle the pitching situation in this way?
After the game Howe said that he kept Stanton in because he thought that Stanton had the best chance to keep Lowell to a single. Howe’s thinking was that if Lowell hit a single with Pierre on first base then Pierre would not score on the play. When asked why he brought Weathers into the game in the middle of an at bat Howe said that he brought in the pitcher he felt had the best chance to get Lowell out.
If Weathers had the best chance of getting Lowell out then why let Stanton go against him to begin with? And if Stanton already had 2 strikes on Lowell when Pierre stole second then why not keep him in to finish the at bat? And if your going with the guy who has the best chance of getting the out then what difference does it make if Pierre is on first or second?
So what was Howe really thinking? I don’t think we’ll ever know.
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Today’s Thoughts
I’ve been away from my computer the last couple of days and will be away again the next few days. I didn’t want to be away from the blog for a week so I figured I’d post something today.
The Mets split a 2 game series with the Phillies this week winning the first game behind some great pitching from Steve Trachsel and then losing the second after Mike Piazza threw away a double play ball that led to six runs in the top of the 7th inning.
Piazza has taken some heat for the error but I don’t think it’s warranted. When you take into account the on-the-job training he’s getting at first base and the countless times he’s been the hero for floundering Mets teams I think we can cut him some slack. The team is still .500 in late May and still in the thick of the NL East race (for now) so throwing away one game in the name of learning a position (while not what you’d like to see) is not the end of the world. As long as he’s ready for a playoff push in august .
Meanwhile, Mike Cameron‘s batting average is down around the Mendoza line. Still think the injury isn’t affecting his hitting? I don’t care how well he’s fielding, in this day and age you cannot afford a .200 hitter in your starting lineup. Something must be done and economics must not play a role in it. You don’t keep a .200 bat in the lineup because you’re paying too much. You either sit him down and use him as a defensive replacement until he’s better or you put him on the DL, give him the surgery he needs and see what happens. Either way this team is in dire need of another outfielder who can play center. They also need a power hitter (probably a right fielder) and another starting pitcher with a live arm. But that’s fodder for another post when I can organize my thoughts a bit more.
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Upcoming Schedule
A lot is being said in the press (both mainstream and blogs) about the upcoming 12 games in which the Mets play the Phillies and Marlins. While these games are very important I don’t agree that they are “make it or break it” games. The important things to look for in this tough stretch of the schedule are not necessarily wins or losses. While it would be great if they could win 8 of the 12 games it’s hard to imagine that these games will determine the Mets fate. They may play a large roll in the teams fate but not determine it.
What I’m looking for is how the team competes. Are they the wimpy Mets who couldn’t score in April and early May? Or are they the tough Mets who beat 4 of the top 5 pitchers in the league a couple of weeks ago? These 12 games should give us an indication of what this team is about regardless of the won lost record.
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Vidro Update
I managed to dump Jose Vidro from 2 of the 3 teams on which I had him. (I have 4 teams total.) In one of the leagues I replaced him with Ronnie Belliard and in the other I replaced him with Juan Uribe. I’m undecided about what to do in the third league because there is no standout among the free agent second basemen. Reader Mike Marino suggested Chase Utley. Utley is on a tear right now but that probably won’t last much longer and I’ll have to look for another guy in a week (or less). Then again, that’s what fantasy leagues are all about. I’ll have to think about it a little more.
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Howe Reading My Mind?
Today’s New York Post, as well as other publications, reports that Mike Cameron will spend some time on the bench and as a defensive replacement. Looks like Art Howe read what I wrote yesterday. Andrew Marchand appears to do his best to stir things up in this article by saying that Cameron and Howe don’t see eye to eye on the situation. While that’s probably true (no player likes to be relegated to bench duty) I don’t think it’s as big an issue as Marchand tries to make it.
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The Jose Vidro Question
I have Jose Vidro on 3 of my 4 fantasy baseball teams. I’ve been holding on to him in the hopes that he will regain his form as a .300 hitter who can knock out 15 or so homers and score 80-100 runs. But now I think the time has come to give up and let him go. I admit that the fear of him turning it around as soon as I let him go is on my mind but the way my rosters are built I can only carry one second baseman so he’s either with me or he’s not. Besides, you can’t carry a player because of a fear like that. So, what am I to do? Anyone have any suggestions? Should he stay or should he go?
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.500 At Last
Tom Glavine pitches a complete game 1 hitter (while walking 1 and striking out 8 ). Kaz Matsui and Cliff Floyd belt first inning home runs. The Mets complete a 3 game sweep of the Rockies and find their record even at 22-22. Congratulations, guys. Now let’s see what you do with the next 118 games.
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A Couple of Thoughts
The Mets need for more starting pitching is becoming more and more apparent everyday. With Al Leiter on the DL, Tyler Yates suffering another bad outing yesterday and Matt Ginter showing a performance that is probably more indicative of the type of pitcher he is than he did in his debut against the Astros last week, it’s pretty obvious that something has to be done. I know I’m not saying anything to deep here but I’m more of an optimist who thinks you should try to work with what you have for as long as possible. That’s why I supported the promotion of James Baldwin when many fans thought it was a bad idea. OK, I was wrong about that. But my point is that if even I am saying it’s time to make a deal then it must really be time.
Another thought that struck me this morning is about centerfield. According to today’s New York Post Mike Cameron‘s hand injury hurts him when he swings and misses. Considering how many times this happens (he’s one of the most strikeout prone hitters in the league) and how he’s only hitting .210 wouldn’t it make sense to put him on the bench and only bring him in as a defensive replacement for the foreseeable future? Of course a move like that would probably necessitate the acquisition of a decent hitting center fielder. I don’t know if this is the answer but it’s something worth considering.
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